Warwickshire Cricket Board’s street cricket’ programme in Sparkhill has been named Outstanding Youth Project of the Year by the cricket charity Chance to Shine.
More than 40 youngsters aged eight to 16 take part in the Sparkhill programme each week, with the games played at the cage at Sparkhill Park with plastic cricket bats and a taped tennis ball (to replicate the seam of a cricket ball). The programme started in 2012 and has grown in popularity from two to three hours of coached sessions each week.
Eaton Gordon, Community Participation Officer at the Warwickshire Cricket Board, said: “We work with more than 300 children and young adults across Birmingham and Coventry through our Chance to Shine Street programme, which helps bring together youngsters in inner-city communities where there is a lack of green space and opportunities for sport.
“The Sparkhill programme is a great example of what can be achieved. Not only has the number of participants and amount of coaching time grown, but some of the juniors have progressed to Chance to Shine Street volunteers and even become Level 2 qualified cricket coaches.
“Huge thanks must go to the long-standing coach Mohammed Arif and all volunteers who have helped this become such an important activity in the community.”
Thanks to Chance to Shine Street, more than 38,000 youngsters have been able to experience cricket in areas that would otherwise miss out to play the game through a lack of traditional clubs. Its awards, at the Kia Oval in London, recognised the work of participants, coaches and volunteers across the country.
Local Chance to Shine Street participant, Ismail Aziz – aged 14 from Nechells – took the award for Outstanding Moment after bowling out England star Moeen Ali at a coaching event at Sparkhill ahead of the third Investec Ashes Test Match at Edgbaston in July.
The Warwickshire Cricket Board currently runs six Chance to Shine Street programmes for children aged between eight and 16 in Birmingham, and five programmes for young adults aged 16 to 24. Additionally, two programmes for young adults are run in Coventry.
For further information on joining Chance to Shine Street in Birmingham or Coventry, contact Eaton Gordon on [email protected].
England all rounder Samit Patel presents Ismail Aziz Eaton Gordon, WCB Community Participation Officer
with his Outstanding Moment Award with Chance to Shine Coaches Mohammed Arif & Khalid Sadiq
